Both a psychological portrait and an exciting action film.

A movie with memorable and engaging performances.

Like the book, the movie blends a primitive quality with an imaginative artfulness. It also amplifies upon the story's gentle, sly wit.

Though events unravel predictably, the film is profoundly affecting, thanks to a well-written story, rich characters and superlative acting.

Mostly, it's just wicked fun.

Miyazaki creates fascinating, fluid and whimsical scenarios.

While the film is not as resonant as the novel, it is an honorable adaptation, capturing the essence of the bond between father and son.

Tarantino exercises both his obsession with vengeance and his fascination with the movies.

When it comes to 3-D visual splendors, give me Wonderland over Pandora any day.

A wonderfully odd, bleakly comic and thoroughly engrossing film.

This slice of American life, as seen through the eyes of Palestinian immigrants, is nuanced, engaging and authentically observed.

Through stellar performances, clever writing and exquisite cinematography, the story is fresh and thoroughly captivating.

In less capable hands, the movie could have been maudlin. Instead, Hicks and Owen have created an intimate drama told with humor and emotion.

Good Hair is cause for hope that Rock continues to make documentaries. His style is lively, smooth and up-to-date, like the most coveted 'do.

This heart-rending tale also is a mesmerizing one because of several superb performances, particularly those of Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson.

Invictus, which is Latin for "unconquered," gives the poem several meanings in the context of the film. It also applies to Eastwood, who, as one of America's greatest storytellers, finds enthralling tales and fashions them with finesse and an indomitable spirit.

Every second Helen Mirren is on-screen in The Last Station is a study in peerless talent.

A brilliantly acted and achingly bleak coming-of-age story.

The Secret of Kells is a magical adventure unlike anything we've seen on screen before.

Powerfully honest, insightful and poignant.

Who would have thought a fire-breathing monster could be one of the most adorable on-screen critters since Babe?

This is the rare screwball comedy that is superbly paced, cleverly plotted and hilarious from start to finish.

The Secret in Their Eyes is that rare police procedural that engages emotions as well as intellect.

Sometimes -- and far too rarely -- a film will hit all the right notes, with sharp, original dialogue, brilliant casting and an absorbing story. So caught up in its spell, you dread seeing the credits roll. Please Give is that movie.

Middle-aged romance can be a dicey prospect. And it gets more complicated when children are in the picture. But it gets more complex still if the "child" is actually 21, and creepily meddlesome.

The film is easier to admire than to fully grasp or be moved by it. Still, it's worth surrendering to the dream.

This gem features five topnotch, multidimensional performances in one of this summer's most engaging films.

The Tillman Story is a probing examination of truth, decency and the American way. It also explores deception and military propaganda and lays bare the ravages of grief.

Easy A not only makes the grade, but it comes in close to 100%.

To avoid revealing too much and spoiling a fresh and intriguing experience, let's just say this: Catch Catfish.

Though the narrative is a conventional one, the well-acted, suspenseful story deals in fascinatingly murky morality and mines intriguing material from a historic and complex city.

Those drawn to unusual, unflinching feats of filmmaking and rare acting turns as well as sustained suspense will be captivated by Buried.

Let Me In is going to lure and please fans of the original; like the first, the remake is graphically violent but as tense as good horror gets.

It calmly examines death, grief and melancholy, packing an unexpectedly profound emotional gut-punch.

Emerges as a potent inspirational story on the strength of its two lead performances.

It paints a complex picture of strained familial relations and a poignant look at the wounds inflicted on a sensitive soul by an unreliable parent.

Menacing and meditative, Hallows is arguably the best installment of the planned eight-film franchise, though audiences who haven't kept up with previous chapters will be hopelessly lost.

Visionary director David O. Russell so deftly weaves the family's story that we, too, are initially seduced by Dicky.

Profound and superbly acted, with a moving script superbly adapted from David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer-winning play.

The original "True Grit" might have been eclipsed by John Wayne's larger-than-life persona, but the Coen brothers' remake is an ensemble piece that feels freshly their own.

Love and loneliness are presented, in almost equal parts, with subdued precision in the richly abundant Another Year.

Bardem's soulful turn lends this haunting meditation a sense of hope and saves it from the contrived missteps it teeters toward.

Flaws are outweighed by Crash's intricate construction and intelligent.

The look of this version may be the finest of the 27 Jane Eyre film and television re-tellings.

The story feels believable as a witty chronicle of human behavior, in contrast with the self-consciously satirical style of some indie films and the far-fetched heroics of big studio fare.

Spurlock comes off like a new and improved Everyman, familiar but smarter and funnier than the average Joe.

This sci-fi thriller has an engrossing plot and a strong cast of fully drawn characters. There's even a sweet youthful love story. In other words, it's a summer blockbuster firing on all cylinders.

The ideal culmination of a fantasy series that has artfully blended excitement, adventure and terror with humor, kinship and love.

Another Earth proves compellingly that science, intellect and emotion can coexist in mesmerizing synchronicity on the big screen.

One Day is an aching lovely romance, but it's also an insightful look at human potential and the search for a purposeful existence.

The look is artfully stylized, influenced by classic film noir; the mood is dark; the performances nuanced; and the story unnervingly exciting.

The supporting cast is strong, as is the deft, sharply witty script. Miller directs elegantly, letting the narrative unfold at a deliberate, artful pace.

Overall, however, the manner in which the film blends the tale of an imperiled boy and the history of cinema makes for an ambitious and fanciful ride.

More fresh than retro, The Muppets bursts with charm and cheeky humor.

Oscar-winning animator Brad Bird seems to have accomplished the impossible with the fourth Mission: Impossible installment by injecting the 15-year-old series with newfound, breathtaking energy.

Fincher's electrifying storytelling makes the most of unsettling visuals, large casts, complex plots and sharp dialogue.

Deftly balancing the students' stories with that of Courtney's, the film creates a fully rounded portrait of a corner of America rarely examined.

Unapologetically brutal and unencumbered by much plot, Raid is the year's most turbo-charged film.

Bully forces audiences to face actions that are unthinkable, inexcusable and excruciatingly sad. It offers no solutions, only the testimony of brave youths.

Sprinkled with riffs, concert footage and home videos, the family-authorized documentary does what the artist usually did: When in doubt, return to the beat.

May be far more ragtag than swashbuckling, but the film is sure-footed, witty and zany fun.

This clever, low-budget film kicks the concept up a few notches to mesmerizing.

Literate, melancholy and magical, Moonrise Kingdom is quintessential Wes Anderson, infused with his brand of daffy wit.

This is a romantic comedy for people who don't like rom-coms. There's no chance of a happy ending, but its tender mercies speak volumes.

It's unlikely there will be a film as visually stunning or poetic this year - or perhaps any year - to rival Beasts of the Southern Wild.

It certainly stays alive in this spare and intriguing film directed by Jonathan Demme, who has helmed two previous Young concert films.

A dream for fans of offbeat, well-written, subtly acted projects.

An artful blend of tenderness and sharp, clear-eyed observations. Its characters talk like real people -- who also happen to be smart, appealing and thoughtful.

When so much of what Hollywood churns out is almost instantly forgettable, it says a lot about a film when viewers want to take time to argue, ponder and puzzle over it.

Frankenweenie is a love story between a boy and his dog. It is also a beautifully crafted homage to classic horror films, a study of grief and a commentary on the mysteries of science and those who narrow-mindedly fear its advances.

Men in movies are often just overgrown boys, and Seven Psychopaths is out to prove it - in the most twisted, hilarious way possible.

With Halloween bags still brimming, it's an ideal time for the inventive candy-colored fun and wicked humor that is Wreck-It Ralph.

With a powerful jolt, 007 feels relevant again, with serious questions about espionage vs. cyber hacking amid the fun.

Through this very specific look at a critical time in Lincoln's presidency, Kushner, Spielberg and Day-Lewis work together to present an honest look at America's most revered statesman. Kushner finds an artful way to weave in the texts of the Gettysburg Address and the 13th Amendment, as well as a creative way to present Lincoln's assassination.

A spectacular high-seas epic that employs technology brilliantly and underscores the power of a vividly told story.

Takes a fascinating chapter in Danish history, little-known to general audiences, and presents it engagingly.

There's an epic spaghetti Western feel to Quentin Tarantino's latest action/comedy/romance hybrid that is by turns dazzling, daring, gruesome and astonishingly funny.

Les Misérables is sweeping, as would be expected given the scope of the hugely popular stage musical from which it is adapted. But it's also wonderfully intimate, thanks to Tom Hooper's deft direction.

This is a tale not only of epic disaster but also of resilience. The Impossible is a nimbly acted drama that is at once a stellar visual achievement and a life-affirming story of familial love and courage.

Fury, I Am a Fugitive, Wild Boys of the Road and Emperor of the North come immediately to mind as definitive Depression movies. This little gem, which may get overlooked, deserves to be on the same list. [20 August 1993, p.5D]

For anyone fascinated by the political process and the powers of persuasive advertising, No is a resounding yes.

Here's an ''opened-up'' film of a fragile, sentimental play that doesn't overemphasize every dramatic point, and doesn't tromp on every minefield in the material. [13 Dec 1989, p.1D]

A riveting crime thriller, it's also a multi-generational familial saga that approaches Greek tragedy.

Star Trek was never about gizmos, but about relationships - both among its crew members and with its audience. Star Trek VI more than upholds the tradition, making it a satisfying send-off for a mighty ship of foils. [6 Dec. 1991, p.1D]

Brannigan is terrific as Robbie, and the entire supporting cast is superb.

With its complex look at storytelling, imagination and the teacher-student dynamic, In the House is an elaborate cinematic fresco.

Spectacular special effects, superbly crafted action sequences, plenty of humor and terrific performances render it a cut above most summer blockbusters.

Most novel is Rounders' message that the real sin isn't giving into vice but denying your God-given talents and not risking it all.

Fans will appreciate not only that the film is predictably solid and surprisingly sharp but that parts of it are just plain bad.

Crowe has invented a fresh character in Lloyd Dobler, and Cusack has invested him with an ingratiating persona that helps avert disaster when things become a bit melodramatic in the final resolution. [14 April 1989]

These characters are interesting for their flaws and wounds, but the movie doesn't delve deeply into the sources of their pain. See this movie for its humor and talented cast and you won't be disappointed.

The movie-calendar equivalent of last July's "Six Days, Seven Nights," this star-powered romance overcomes a shaky start to outpace that passable confection by several runaway laps.

Though it sounds like a blueprint for either disaster or dynamite, the movie is a bit too controlled to be either.

Even when there are lulls, the emotions seem authentic.

The movie wouldn't be imaginable without its commanding star. Nicholson is in virtually every scene underplaying to great effect

No situation could be more human, and it's one the youth-dominated film industry rarely touches.

This also is the rare combat movie that deals substantially with mourning widows on the home front.

Gives new meaning to the phrase "not for the squeamish."

There's one reason to see Tim Burton's flawed, somewhat declawed but often amusing do-over of Planet of the Apes. The apes. What else?

The only character we get to know fully as she evolves from child to older woman is Vivi. Too bad the movie didn't also trace the lives of her "sisters." That might have been divine.

His (Myers) affection for the era and its gaudy, bawdy movies inject this bit of fluff with giddy energy.

It's fast, easy on the eyes, full of funny putdowns and cast well enough to have two memorable villains.

A coming-of-age tale that truly floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.

There's also a nice cheekiness to the material written by Robert Towne ("Chinatown"), and the usual cool high-tech toys are deployed.

Dramatically moving and good-naturedly humorous, it transmits a sharp picture of humanity that inspires both awe and laughter.

Though there are helmets deeper than this movie, you do have to admire the level of screen showmanship .

This one looks like a sure bet for seven weeks (at least) of audience good fortune.

The actress may get an Oscar nomination for the wrong movie -- "Moulin Rouge" over "The Others" -- but it would be a double misfortune for audiences to overlook a performance that boosts its movie from moderate to memorable.

Where the highly likable actress (Zellweger) proves most valuable is in making us adore this insecure, clumsy, contradictory creature.

Consistently compelling without being truly memorable.

When have we seen the same performer playing both parts in a sexual situation? It happens here, not once but twice.

This quirky, winning sleeper from first-time director Jenniphr Goodman has its pokey moments, but it's no insult to say that it is as pleasantly easygoing as its slacker hero.

Though not quite up to "The Full Monty" or "Waking Ned Devine," there's just enough left in that overseas whimsy stockpile to generate good buzz (the word-of-mouth moviegoer kind).

This smashingly filmed and performed one-shot is (uh, so to speak) the year's best romantic comedy. [8 Dec 1989]

A largely irresistible puff piece.

A chilly oddball that's easier to admire than love.

The match winners and losers may be preordained, but these modern-day gladiators bleed plenty of real blood.

Aside from the "Nutty Professor," this is the funniest Murphy comedy since the Reagan Administration.

A tough little hostage thriller with crackling dialogue, surprising intelligence and an emotional wallop.

As entertainment, such dark material can only stretch so far, and Series 7 comes awfully close to being as numbing as the genre it mocks. But its power can't be denied.

All coy and fey -- and painless to digest.

Yummy yet empty.

Director Dominik Moll knows how to make a gruesome-free thriller and even manages some dark laughs as he turns the screws.

Seductively pastoral but also a bit slight, the movie saves its best scene for the very end.

This movie doesn't make you think you are watching art. It's closer to a high-end TV movie with lots of familiar faces.

A cautionary tale very well-told.

Plays like a labor of love.

The five stories in The Five Senses flawlessly and even artfully create a unified mood.

It's a rare romantic comedy/road picture that's not only flat-out funny, but also presents complex and well-developed characters.

Yearning for an old-fashioned movie with a well-told, uplifting message? Music of the Heart is playing your song.

The pace is fast, many of the performers are attractive, and even the end-credits montage is zippier than usual.

Just a good time at the movies, but it's still a smarter two hours than most "good times" are.

Has the refined taste to crib from classics like "Double Indemnity."

Thinking isn't going to do anyone a bit of good during Blue Streak. Turn off your brain instead and you might enjoy it.

Brosnan and Rush are a smooth fit, playing off each other like a snappy shirt and tie.

Stands apart for its raw, quiet emotion and its shattering sense of truth.

Irritates in the early going when many of the current-day interviews are so intentionally underlighted that we can't see what the group members look like.

Feast upon a career-peak Willem Dafoe performance as a bat-eared fiend who is foul, funny, ferocious, forlorn and unforgettable.

(Craven) and his Scream dream team have done a frightfully good job of killing off and wrapping up the popular horror series.

Once this 2 1/4-hour slow-starter finally finds its rhythm, we're reminded of how gripping policy give-and-take around a long rectangular table can be.

Another invigorating, extremely raunchy sports movie from Ron Shelton .

This is economy of style that Americans get only in Woody Allen movies -- and even that's not a guarantee.

Droll mild amusement.

Fortune is smiling down on veteran filmmaker Robert Altman with Cookie's Fortune.

Artful and emotionally compelling.

This dark comedy comes off more giddy than gritty.

Preposterous to the extreme.

Lovely “memory'' film. [2 March 1990, Life, p.4D]

One can't underestimate the appeal of any movie constructed around Sean Connery's charm.

Artful it's not. But it's awfully affable. [26 March 1999, Life, p.9E]

The kind of quirky, character-driven comedy they don't make much anymore.

Engagingly offbeat. [4 December 1998, Life, p.13E]

Uneven, amateurish and borderline misogynistic. But it's also very funny, and it never loses its cool.

This meaty Irish stew isn't arty or elliptical. It ought to connect with anyone who's survived sibling tension or romantic fence-sitting. [9 August 1995, Life, p.5D]

As shallow as a shot glass.

A family movie with a heart and a brain. And if you aren't moved to tears, you might need an organ transplant.

It's Barrymore's most ambitious role to date. She proves she is maturing as an actress.

The final third is slower until a somewhat contrived finale that's still the funniest thing in the movie.

This crumbled-caper comedy is the funniest movie ever from a film maker late in his eighth decade. [22 July 1988, Life, p.4D]

A movie of moments whose ultimate legacy may be to get Carrey out of formula comedies forever.

Both female roles are unexpectedly meaty, so much so that the film loses something once the far more lively Stone is dispatched. Hour one (more satirical) is better all around, though the falloff isn't fatal. [1 June 1990, Life, p.2D]

This tale is both redemptive and tragic, if occasionally melodramatic.

If you end up cursing, try not to forget The Abyss' spectacular oil-rig collapse, a killer chase scene, two fine leads, and one Oscar-worthy "creature'' special effect midway through. Do forget the rest - unless you really dig Casper, the Friendly Ghost. [9 Aug 1989, Life, p.1D]

The Postman (Il Postino) is slight, but it's tough to imagine anyone not liking it.

As a successful careerist who tries purging his neuroses in a coin-operated batting cage, Crystal is funny enough to keep Ryan from all-out stealing the film. She, though, is smashing in an eye-opening performance, another tribute to Reiner's flair with actors. [12 July 1989, Life, p.1D]

Girls isn't fabulous, but you do feel its characters really have connected.

Grimly claustrophobic movies can make viewers put up a shield, yet Tim Blake Nelson (who directed O) invests this unusual Holocaust drama with dramatic intensity that in no way cheapens its subject matter.

The interwoven stories are haunting, but also darkly funny.

Few filmmakers of the past 20 years have mesmerized as much in their use of crisp, color-drenched photography.

Impressive yet always self-conscious, Perdition has more class and less sass than any movie in a while.

May not be a straightforward bio, nor does it offer much in the way of Barris' motivations, but the film is an oddly fascinating depiction of an architect of pop culture.

For a movie that earns its R-rating for drug content and violence atop language and sexuality, it leaves you with the next thing to a mellow smile.

Landed exactly the right actors for a script that already gets points for respecting its teenage characters.

It has an elusive, haunting quality, but it's too long at 133 minutes, and there aren't many movies these days that get more involving as they progress.

If it's not conventionally speedy, it is almost always gripping.

Compellingly watchable horror-spectacle.

The film is, however, almost inevitably wistful for the past, and many of its emotional touches come from juxtaposed then-and-now footage of the participants.

More than a quarter-century ago, Redford played a young CIA employee in "Three Days of the Condor." Someday, it will make a great living-room double bill with Spy Game -- the actor then and now.

Sweet, family-friendly and philosophically complex, Tuck Everlasting is an unexpected delight.

As a forum for its actors and for the big-screen directorial debut of multi-Emmy winner Gregory Hoblit, the film is up to the job.

The script is consistently humorous, even if a few punch lines are predictable and the wit is neither highbrow nor split-a-gut funny.

Land has a lot of funny moments, which are no less serious for being so, especially when the script turns politically prickly.

There isn't any kind of dance you can compare to Robert Duvall's latest as an actor/director, though a slo-mo minuet might come close.

Displays so much promise with its beautiful cinematography and superb portrayal by Cate Blanchett that you scarcely notice (or even care) that the story is a bit thin.

The movie features a musical score aimed more at boomer parents than their tykes.

An unusually knowing movie from filmmakers of any age, both in its coldly clinical viewpoint and assured filmmaking style that even puts fresh spin on a routine police interrogation. [26 May 1993, Life, p.8D]

Well acted by an ensemble that leans toward equality for all, Mile carries its long running time extremely well.

The result is far from perfect, but to its many merits, add timing. You never get a movie with this kind of story in mid-August.

Even without the surprise of seeing Spader going for laughs and getting them, Secretary is just too original to be ignored.

In contrast to big-screen bummers we see every week, this movie conveys genuine sorrow.

We are happy to report there is intelligent life in feature animation beyond planet Disney and the gaseous ball of foul language known as South Park.

Two films in one: an intriguing child-disappearance mystery and an uncommonly affecting domestic drama realized by four terrific central performances.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, in an atypically high-minded and low-budget frame of mind, manages to breeze through most of the gridiron genre's obstacles with his admirable, crowd-pleasing Titans.

Blast feels positively timely if not downright positive about the human race's ability to endure. Forget radiation. Fraser and folks actually survive three decades-plus of Perry Como music. [12 February 1999, Life, p.8E]

This charming but slight tale has warmth, wit and interesting characters compassionately portrayed.

Exceedingly well cast and assembled with flashy visuals and pacing by Harron, this period piece is diminished by its relative pointlessness.

Shouldn't be overrated, but it's the first film of the year - and it's mid-February already - capable of keeping a grown-up awake.

Visual pyrotechnics and dark humor aside, Three Kings rules because it dares to dig for such truths, whether banal or significant.

It's a sweet tale, but the movie's real subject is Zhang, the camera's muse that the lens adores.

The soundtrack (which includes James Brown, Michael Jackson and The Commodores) is better than a K-Tel "Best of the '70s" compilation, and the broad physical comedy is as reliable as a brick house.

Lean, mean and mordant black comedy.

With its unflinching style, Training Day can be hard to sit through at times. But it's worth the discomfort for the adrenaline rush of the plot and Washington's compelling performance.

Williams is impressively restrained as well as funny, so fans need not fret. It only means that instead of Good Morning, Preppies, we're given a bittersweet, even eerie Goodbye, Mr. Hip. [2 June 1989, Life, p.1D]

With near-Swiss precision, director/producer Jay Roach and his writers make sure familiarity breeds hilarity.

Atypical teen drama about opposites attracting that often (and happily) confounds expectations.

Alas, what you've heard about Sofia Coppola (as Michael's daughter) is true; she swallows words and speaks “valley girl.'' What a difference Winona Ryder would have made. [24 Dec 1990, Life, p.1D]

A provocative dissection of human dynamics.

The star interplay and anachronisms recapture some of the surreal spirit of the Crosby-Hope Road movies, and the end-credit outtakes are funny enough to sustain that getting-hoary device for at least one more picture.